Fourth District Supervisor Bob Nelson was far ahead in his bid for a second term Tuesday, with 74.4% of the vote.
Nelson faced off against Los Alamos resident Krishna Flores, a school board member, in the race to fill one of the five seats on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors.
He led the contest by a wide margin with 74.4% of the vote to Flores’ 24.8% as of 11:30 p.m. with 25 of 30 precincts reporting. The incumbent supervisor maintained the wide margin all night as the polling numbers were updated.
Nelson’s supporters cheered the significant lead early in the night and offered congratulations.
“I’m ecstatic,” Nelson said. “It’s really an honor to see that level of support from the community for my service. It looks like my voters want to have me back for another four years. It’s really my dream job so to be able to have that opportunity is really special.”
With only two candidates, a winner will be declared from Tuesday’s election results and the race will avoid the need for a runoff election in November.
In the coming years, the Fourth District will feel the pressure of growth as proposals for new housing and development have irked residents.
Nelson previously worked as chief of staff during the eight years Peter Adam, a former Fourth District supervisor, filled the slot.
Nelson grew up in Orcutt graduating from Righetti High School. After graduating from Vanguard University, he returned to North County and began a teaching career before entering political life.
He said his deep roots in the community and knowledge of needs likely helped him earn voters’ support.
Nelson won’t rest with the apparent win. He’s set to travel Wednesday to seek federal funding for the long-planned, and oft-delayed, new senior center building in Old Town Orcutt.
Nelson ran unopposed in his first bid for the board four years ago, and said having a challenger allowed a community conversation about issues facing the residents in the Fourth District.
In a social medial post for her campaign, Flores expressed gratitude for her supporters.
“When I embarked on this journey, I knew the odds were stacked against us. As a Democratic candidate in a Republican district, facing a well-funded incumbent, the path ahead seemed daunting. However, I refused to let that deter me.
“I entered this race because I firmly believe that every voter deserves a choice, and I was determined to ensure that our community had the opportunity to make an informed decision and have meaningful representation,” she added.
Flores, a political newcomer, was among Los Alamos residents to speak out against the looming start of construction for a 59-unit development approved in the community in 2005.
Since October 2018, she has served as vice chair for Manzanita Public Charter School in the Lompoc Valley and as a volunteer on the Orcutt Academy High School Advisory Council.
As a military spouse, she helped out at the Airman & Family Readiness Center and the Airman’s Attic at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
The Fourth District, encompassing 173 square miles, now includes a southern segment of Santa Maria city along with multiple unincorporated areas, including Orcutt, Los Alamos Vandenberg Village, Mission Hills Casmalia, Siquoc/Garey, Tepusquet Canyon and Vandenberg Space Force Base. The city of Lompoc now falls in the Third District.
The new Fourth District has the largest unincorporated area among for the five districts in the county, bringing significant challenges in meeting the unique needs of each community.
Whoever wins the Fourth District seat, and two others up for grabs the year, won’t start their new four-year terms until January 2025 when the winners of the three races will join Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino and Second District Supervisor Laura Capps on the board.
The County Elections Office will continue to release election results updates throughout the night Tuesday, with additional updates before the results are certified in early April.
Check back with Noozhawk for updates to this story and other election results stories.
